Year 2- 24th October 2025 –South China Sea on way to -Nongsa Marina Batam

The night was busy dodging fisherman and cargo ships and tankers. Our watch was 11.00pm until 2.00pm and we continued to motor due to lack of wind. Our watch passed quite quickly and we had to negotiate round a few fishing boats. We went off at 2.00am and I slept until about 6.30am and got up and had some tea.

 Andy and I were on again at 8.00am and it was quite a pleasant day. There was no wind really and the sea was flat and calm. We were making the miles which was good. We decided to put out the fishing rod again. Andy did the daily checks and we were on watch until 12.00noon. Steve took out the 12v socket in the cockpit which had got corroded and one at the navigation table needed attention as well. There was not a lot of traffic out today but we did pass a few fishing boats at anchor. I think they had fished in the night and were now sleeping ready to fish again tonight.

 We were due to pass over the equator again today from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere. I passed into the Southern just before I got to the Galapagos in about April 2024. Those who have not passed over the equator in a boat are called Pollywogs (novice sailors). Those who have already done this before are called Shellbacks and those who have also passed the International Date line as well are called Golden Shellbacks which Keith and I are. There is a ceremony on board boats including in the Royal Navy where the Pollywogs are inaugurated to become Shellbacks and to give thanks to Neptune.

We could see the Latitude running down and as we crossed the equator Neptune appeared (Keith) in all his finery. He had a hat (from Belitung) a beard (a net) and a sarong sort of thing and a trident which was on top of a boathook. Neptune called us all to the rear of Stormbird and addressed me as Captain and asked me to point out the Pollywogs, namely Steve, Mark and Ruth and to give an account of them. He then took each in turn and gave each a pineapple top for granting safe passage, a wooden spoon for sails and fair winds and bikini bra for bountifulness of the sea. Each was rubbed in the face with a bit of pineapple and then splashed with some banana mush water. We all clapped and they became Shellbacks and to celebrate we had a can of beer and to give thanks to Neptune and to ask that he keeps us all safe. This was all great fun and I thought well I have to cross it twice more on my circumnavigation.

 We motored on and it began to get dark and we started to see looms of light from fishing boats. Ruth and I prepared supper which was chicken with teriyaki sauce and a ratatouille which was very enjoyable. We are making good progress as we are motoring about 7 kts and should get to the marina about 9-11.00am tomorrow. I contacted the marina to let them know and they told me about our berth and that we should be able to leave on the 27th having cleared out of Indonesia. I was also contacting our Malaysia agent and the marina where we will check in. I also received notification that the new mainsail has arrived in Langkawi which is exciting news.

 After supper Andy and I took over at 8.00pm and there were quite a lot of fishing boats around. At about 9.00am we suddenly saw in the water a load of small white buoys – I thought oh my god a net. I immediately put the engine into neutral and we glided over the net and the white buoys. I looked back with the torch and expected to see the nets following us but they did not. How we did not get caught in the net I do not know. I could see the lights of fishing boats around us and I wondered whether this was a large round net going on for miles. Why they are not marked or lit is beyond me. My concern was where the other end of the net was? We motored on again at about 7 kts and did so for about 37 minutes and then we saw the little white buoys again and I put engine into neutral again. We glided again over this net and we did not seem to catch anything. We were lucky and I hoped we would not get more of them but there are so many fishing boats about and who knows.

 We will motor on and hope to avoid this again. The crew will take us through the night and between some islands in the lead up to Batam and Andy and I will be on again at 5.00am as it gets light to take us the last number of hours.     

The picture of the day is the plotter as we passed the equator into the Northern Hemisphere.

 Need/Opportunity Year Three

In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Chagos, Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK.  I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town and from Cape Town to the UK. If of any interest do email me.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com